Seven Days: The Complete Story (38 page)

“I know. I’m
sorry, baby. Things have been so damn hectic here. But it should
slow down for a while now. I’ve asked Caleb to stand in as site
foreman until Joel comes back, so I won’t have to be there every
second of the day. It was doing my head in trying to be two
people.” There’s a glint of annoyance in Nicholas’ eyes.

“Still no
word?”

“Not to me. I
don’t know what wonder boy thinks he’s playing at but I’m this
close to punching his fucking lights out when he gets back. He
seems to have forgotten we’re partners in this firm, that he has
responsibilities. He seems to have forgotten about the firm
altogether.”

I move my hand
to rest on Nicholas’ thigh. The muscles tense beneath my fingers.
“Is there anything I can do? I’m more than happy to help if I can.
I don’t want to be a kept woman. I need to be productive, at least
until the baby’s born.”

Nicholas
switches to his side, leaning against his hip. His hand lifts the
lock of hair he was playing with and he tickles my neck with it.
“Maybe I need to release some tension.”

“Would you
like me to massage your neck and shoulders?”

Of course, I
know full well this is not what he wants but, hey, it’s fun to
string him along a little. I’m not a half wit. I saw him lock the
office door when I arrived. I heard him tell Laura that under no
circumstances were we to be interrupted for the next hour. He put
his phone on silent. I could delude myself into thinking he wants
to eat lunch but I know
exactly
what he wants. I want it,
too.

“No, but I’d
like to massage the inside of you with my dick.”

“Nicholas!”

“What? It’s
been days.” His fingers release my hair and it falls onto my
shoulder. He sweeps it behind me and lowers his lips to my skin.
The ripple of desire is instant, turning me to quivering jelly.

He looks into
my eyes, his own filled with a deep longing I rarely see in him. “I
want to fuck you right here on the floor. I need to fuck you. I’ve
been thinking about it all morning.”

Hmmm
.
Sounds like an offer too good to refuse.

“You’re not
going to be all loud when you come, are you? I don’t want people
thinking we’re in here having sex.” I’m teasing him, prolonging the
buildup to what we both know is inevitable.

“I locked the
fucking door. I think they all know what we’re doing, Sadie.”

“Eating
lunch?”

“Among other
things.” His hands stray to my shirt and he begins to undo the
buttons. His fingers move swiftly, and before long I am bared to
him, my white lacy bra on full show, my ever expanding chest rising
and falling in anticipation.

He eyes my
breasts lasciviously. “New underwear, Miss Cooper?”

“Not
purposely. I’ve gone up another cup size.”

He licks his
lips. “So you didn’t wear that with the intention of seducing
me?”

“I absolutely
wore this with the intention of seducing you.”

Nicholas’
eyebrows tilt ever so slightly and his grin turns to that dirty
sort of smirk. “Best we get to it, then.”

He straddles
me, not resting on my body but kneeling upright. Intent, his hands
glide over the fabric of my bra. They massage my breasts, as he
bends his head to suckle me through the sheerness. My nipples
harden and I arch myself towards him.

“I love your
new tits,” he whispers, as he reaches behind me undoing the clasp
and freeing me from the confines of my bra. “They’re fucking
awesome.”

“I sort of
figured you did.” I giggle and he silences me with a kiss. Then, he
slides my shirt and bra from my shoulders. He returns his fingers
to their torturous fondling and follows it with his lips. He sucks
on each nipple in turn and it’s all I can do to bite on my lip to
keep from crying out. I’m more sensitive than I was before. I love
this more. My head falls back against the seat of the sofa as he
continues to fondle and suck. Then I feel his hands slide down my
stomach, stopping at the tender swell of the baby. I open my
eyes.

“Tell me if
I’m hurting you and I’ll stop,” he says, sliding my leggings down
and helping me wriggle out of them. His fingers tickle at the edge
of my new knickers before he hooks them under the elastic and
slides them away too. I am naked before him.

Nicholas leans
over. He kisses me. A long wet kiss that leaves me breathless and
ragged. His eyes linger on mine as he pulls away.

“You could
never hurt me,” I whisper back. “You are the most perfect man I
know.”

“Damn
straight.”

“Modest
too.”

Ignoring me,
he positions his arms on either side of my body. He’s still fully
clothed and he holds himself over me, eyeing me for the longest
moment. “You’re so beautiful. I can’t believe you’re mine. I can’t
believe you chose me, that you’re having my baby.”

Then he slides
his hands under my bum and lifts me onto the leather couch. “Spread
your legs.”

I do as he
asks.

“Wider.”

He bends his
head, diving into me. He licks and nips at the skin near the top of
my thighs. He blows against my skin. He takes me into his mouth and
sucks. I hold onto his hair and bite my lip again. It’s good, so
good.

“Keep going,”
I beg him. “Fuck, don’t stop.”

I feel his
tongue flick against me and his fingers slide into me. They thrust
slowly in and out, in and out. It’s good but it’s not enough. The
heat is building.

“Nicholas.” I
breathe his name.

He pauses and
looks up.

“Do it now.” I
can hardly speak but I feel him move away.

I watch as
Nicholas undoes his zipper, and slides his trousers and underwear
down in one swift move. He slides my butt closer to the edge of the
seat and repositions himself between my legs. His erection is big
and hard and I want it in me. The tip is pushing against me but he
isn’t moving.

“Hold it,” he
says. “Guide me into you.”

I take him in
my hands and rub him against me. I feel him grow harder as I
do.

If that’s
possible.

‘Cause he was
damn hard before that.

“Don’t close
your eyes,” he whispers.

“Why? I can’t
help it. It feels so good.”

“Watch me fuck
you, baby. Watch me.”

I guide him
and he slides himself into me. He’s hard and as he thrusts slowly
in and out, deeper and deeper, his length fills me to a point where
I’m sure I’ll explode, yet I know I won’t. All I want is to have
him in me forever. “Faster, Nicholas.”

“Only if you
keep your eyes open. I want to see you come. I want you to see me
making you come.”

Is there
anything else in this world?

*****

I leave the
office an hour later having exacted a promise from Nicholas that
he’ll be home in time for dinner tonight. I go to the deli on the
way and buy a couple of steaks and some salad. I get the
ingredients to make that potato bake I know he loves. I’ve looked
it up on my phone and it looks easy, so I think I can manage it. I
mean, it’s potato and cheese. It can’t be that hard. I wander the
aisles of the deli buying little treats to eat. I tell myself
they’re for Nicholas but I know I’m indulging my sweet tooth and we
can share, right? I find myself humming in the line to the checkout
and I think it’s nice being domesticated. Sure, Nicholas insists on
retaining the cleaning woman he had before I moved in and now wants
her to up her hours to include cooking and shopping but, hello, I
am not totally incompetent. Though I have to admit I like the fact
she does the vacuuming and cleans the bathroom. I never thought I’d
be one to enjoy hired help but I am. And she comes once a week so I
haven’t given up my domestic independence entirely. Not yet.

On my way
home, I stop again at the baby shop. I muse for ages and finally
pick out two cute little blue outfits. I toss around a few ideas
for baby names in my head while I’m waiting for the girl to put the
clothes in a carry bag, then I dawdle down the street to catch the
four o’clock bus home, pondering how much my life has changed.
Eight months ago, I was sharing a flat with Emily. I was dating
Mason and stressing about getting a job. Now, I’m living with the
man of my dreams. I’m having his baby. My mind turns briefly to
Mum. I hope she’d be proud of me. I know I haven’t had the chance
to use the degree I worked to hard to get but I haven’t given up on
my dream. One day, when the baby is old enough, I’ll find a job and
have the career I always wanted. It’s just, right now, things are
different. They’re not going in the order I planned, but I’m
learning to deal with that. I can still be the mistress of my own
destiny. It’s simply the course that’s changed.

While I sit at
the bus stop, watching the cars pass by, I think about Emily too.
The last time we saw each other, at graduation, I could tell she
wanted to be part of my life again, even if Alex was telling her
she shouldn’t. I have so much I want to say, to share with her. I’m
having a baby, for pete’s sake. Surely, she wants to be a part of
that? Deciding to call her, I flip my phone out of my pocket and
dial.

“Hello?”

What? Has she
blocked me from her phone?

“Hi Em, it’s
me. Sadie.”

There’s
silence for a second.

“Oh hi. Sorry,
I’m in the sun and I didn’t see the name on the screen.”

“Is now a bad
time?”

“Um, no. I was
about to peg a load of washing out. Hashtag boring.”

That sounds
like my old Emily.

“How’s
Alex?”

Hashtag
awkward pause.

“He’s okay, I
guess. He’s gone away on a business thingy for a few days. Some
conference in Melbourne.”

“Sounds
exciting.”

“I thought so
too. I asked if I could tag along. You know, do some shopping, see
a show or two while he was conferencing but he wasn’t keen on that
idea. I think I get in his way.”

“Did you end
up getting any interviews for those jobs you were after?” It’s a
fair question. I haven’t spoken to her properly for eight
months.

“Alex wasn’t
keen. He wants me to stay home and be a full time housewife. He
likes to tell everyone how he can afford to ‘keep’ me in the manner
I’m accustomed to, whatever that is. It’s boring as hell sitting
around here all day. I don’t know how women do it. I love getting
my nails and hair done and going to the gym and out for lunches,
don’t get me wrong, but I feel like I need a good slap in the head
most days to bring me back to consciousness.”

Whoa. Step
back a minute.

“Are you
getting married?”

“Yeah.
September.” She pauses and I can almost hear her brain ticking
over. “I really wanted to ask you to be my bridesmaid but Alex
wants me to have his sisters. They’re like these gnarly old
spinsters who’ve never seen a penis, let alone had sex. Should make
for an interesting hen’s night. I can’t imagine there’ll be any
strippers or tequila shots.”

Sounds
heinous.

“I didn’t
expect you to ask me,” I reply. “Not after everything that
happened. I can help you organise the hen party though if you want
me to. You know how I love to organise.”

“You’d do that
for me?”

“Of course I
would. I can’t let my best friend have the hen’s night from hell. I
think it’s against girl code or something.”

“But the
sisters will chuck a mental.”

“And that’s
going to stop you from having fun? It’s your night. You should have
everything you ever dreamed of. All that tacky shit we can look
back and laugh about, if that’s what you want.”

Emily’s voice
is more excited now. “You’re right. It’s my hen’s night and if they
don’t like it they can stay at home. You and I can go on a girls
night alone. Besides, I’ve got months to talk their boney arses
around. I’ll simply tell them you’re doing it. They’ll probably be
relieved.”

“Are they
really that bad?”

“The worst. If
I so much as mention the word sex they get all het up. They tried
to tell me my wardrobe’s provocative.”

“Are you
kidding me?” I’d hardly call Emily’s all black ensembles
provocative. Sultry and a little sexy sometimes but never slutty or
provocative.

“I know,
right. Those wicked sisters need a serious reality check. It almost
makes me want to dress slutty to show them but that would upset
Alex and I wouldn’t do that to him.”

I can’t help
but smile. It’s so nice to hear Emily sounding sort of like her old
self and nicer that she’s talking to me again. I was convinced our
friendship was over. It doesn’t sound like Emily’s getting rid of
Alex the control freak anytime soon though. Funny how a man that
seemed so gorgeous in the beginning could turn the way he has. I
don’t know if it will last but clearly Alex means more to her than
any other boyfriend if she’s marrying him. Or maybe the promise of
finally getting her house and babies is the draw card?

“Speaking of
sex,” Emily continues. “Are you still banging the two hotties from
heaven?”

I didn’t know
we
were
speaking of sex.

“No, I’m not
actually.”

“I knew you
couldn’t sustain that level of intensity. You were so out of your
league honey bubble. But I guess it was fun while it lasted,
yeah?”

“It was. And
if it weren’t for the fact that I’m pregnant it would never have
ended.”

“Are you
telling me those arseholes knocked you up and dumped you?” I can
hear the anger in her voice. It’s good to know she still cares even
if she pretends she doesn’t.

“No! No. It’s
nothing like that. The three of us were in love, Em. I don’t expect
you to understand that because I don’t understand it and I was
living it. Anyway, long story, but I got pregnant with Nicholas’
baby and Joel decided that it’d be best if he backed out of the
relationship to let us try to work things out. He went away
somewhere. I haven’t heard from him in a couple of months. I miss
him a lot but I still have Nicholas.”